Criticism Is Dead

We discuss The Dig and Wolfwalkers, two films — one Anglo, one Celtic — that look back in time.

04:16 The Dig (2021), new to Netflix, is a reimagination of the true story of the excavation of a 7th-century medieval burial ship of an Anglo-Saxon king.

22:12 Wolfwalkers (2020) is an animated children's film about Irish folklore, family, sisterhood, nature, and the oppressive forces of colonialism and Christianity.

35:16 Plus, culture notes about a truly embarrassing clusterfuck in which Variety threw a freelance critic under the bus because Carey Mulligan took issue with his review of Promising Young Woman.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss Bling Empire, a reality TV show about having everything, and The White Tiger, a film about having nothing and wanting everything.

01:49 Bling Empire, Netflix's latest glossy smooth-brain content, is, disappointingly, neither particularly crazy rich nor particularly Asian.

18:08 The White Tiger, also new on Netflix, is about what it takes to become a "have" in a cruel system of haves and have-nots.

31:34 Plus, culture notes about the Bernie Sanders mittens meme outrage cycle.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss Promising Young Woman and Sound of Metal, two films about finding silence after what feels like the end of the world.

04:05 Promising Young Woman, available for rental now and out in theaters soon, is talked about as a revenge fantasy, but it's more about how to sit with the terrible reality that what happened happened.

20:52 Sound of Metal, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a uniquely immersive look at the experience of losing one's hearing but gaining something else.

32:51 Plus, culture notes about what's going on with the Armie Hammer stuff (sorry).

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss The Flight Attendant, an overly hyped caper, and Lupin, a heist show that deserves all the hype.

02:15 Are we mavericks for opining that The Flight Attendant, HBO Max's buzzy not-limited series, is... not good???

17:50 Netflix's new heist series Lupin, on the other hand, is very good.

26:56 Plus, culture notes about the last time we remember seeing real romantic chemistry on the screen, and what that has to do with recent chatter about the upcoming film Malcolm & Marie.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss horny period drama Bridgerton (2020) and angsty young adult survival series The Wilds (2020).

02:53 Bridgerton, the first big Shondaland x Netflix offering, is the epitome of a guilty pleasure, but its probing of race and relationships leaves much to be desired.

17:28 The Wilds, one of Amazon Prime Video's few Youth Market shows, is both cringe-y and tender in its depiction of teen girls.

26:33 Plus, not one, but TWO culture notes: the first about Ben "Believe in Boston" Affleck and his Dunkin', and the second about TV to look forward to this year maybe???

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

It's our year-end special! We each present our top 5 picks for film and TV, respectively, plus some honorable mentions, making for a grand total of... 10 movies and 16 shows recommended??

02:27 Movies! Including T_, F_ C__, and more.

20:12 TV! Including N_ P, T_ Q' G__, and more.

For the full list written out, check out our Substack — we'll be publishing the newsletter (with extended show notes, other links, etc.) for this episode at 9am ET today.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

It's our holiday special! We discuss Love Actually (2003) and Carol (2015), two "holiday" "classics" that inspire very different feelings.

01:49 Love Actually, which is available for rent on various places, is long and horny!!

15:23 Carol, streaming on Netflix, is melancholy and gay!!

27:03 Plus, instead of culture notes this week, we play a game guessing the dumb titles of other holiday/Christmas movies.

P.S. Thanks everyone who submitted suggestions for what to watch! Sorry we couldn't discuss all of them, but here are the rest for your perusal/streaming pleasure:

P.P.S. We're taking next week off, but we'll be back before the New Year to discuss our favorite films and shows of 2020! Feel free to send in your own personal faves!

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes—including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit—subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss Mank (2020), a film set in 1930s-40s Hollywood, and Tokyo Girl (2016), a series set in modern-day Tokyo.

2:00 Mank, streaming on Netflix, is David Fincher's latest movie, made by and for auteurs and film nerds. Depending on who you ask, this may be good or bad. But one thing's undeniable: Amanda Seyfried!

13:31 Tokyo Girl, an older Japanese show available on Amazon Prime Video, is a series of snapshots from the life of a woman trying to have it all in the big city. Aren't we all!

24:46 Plus, cultures notes about how fans are going batshit seeing sneak peeks from shows and films currently in production.

P.S. REQUEST: We're doing a holiday special next week! Please send us your holiday movie recs — the good, the bad, the cheesy — ASAP via the channels listed below. Thank you!!

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes—including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit—subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss Ted Lasso (2020) and Industry (2020), two series about lone Americans navigating unknown waters across the pond — in one case, a football field, in the other, an investment bank.

02:34 Ted Lasso, one of Apple TV+'s first true word-of-mouth sleeper hits, sits at the intersection of cheesy, surprising, heartwarming, and pure, unadulterated vibes.

17:22 Industry, out on HBO, is like if Skins were a cutthroat, hypercapitalist workplace drama, complete with sex, drugs, and P&Ls.

29:50 Plus, culture notes about an ingeniously controversial "25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century" list from New York Times critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott. Who said criticism was dead??

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co

We discuss The Crown season 4 (2020), a series about an antiquated British institution, and the Great British Bake Off season 11 (2020), a competition show that may also be an antiquating British institution?

01:27 Season 4 of The Crown, a Netflix series following the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is about toxic girlboss Margaret Thatcher, the people's princess Diana, and the growing obsoletion of the monarchy in a world that has already progressed past it.

22:05 We have food writer and Eater London associate editor James Hansen on to talk about the Great British Bake Off (available for Americans on Netflix) and how it was maybe never meant to bear all the weight of 2020, just an idea! Check out more of James's work on Eater London and in his food media newsletter In Digestion.

(Just a note we're skipping culture notes this week because we have Too Much Content.)

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes—including links that we reference, plus bonus bullshit—subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Special thanks: Dan Geneen

Find out more at https://criticism-is-dead.pinecast.co